Southam College are proud to introduce the recently established Southam Teaching Alliance, based in Coventry and Warwickshire. We work closely as an alliance of secondary, primary and special schools and universities.

Students and staff came together to raise money through a range of activities including our 24 hour netball. Thank you to everyone involved.

School Direct

What is School Direct (train to teach)?

School Direct courses generally last a year and result in qualified teacher status (QTS) – most also award you a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) and/or Master’s-level credits. Southam Teaching Alliance works with the University of Warwick to offer QTS and PGCE.

You’ll train in a school, getting the chance to learn ‘on the job’ – but you shouldn’t worry about being thrown in at the deep end. You’ll be part of a team from the very start, receiving intensive support from experienced teachers and mentors. That means you won’t be teaching classes unsupported until the school thinks you’re ready.

School Direct (Salaried)

The salaried route provides an employment based option for high-quality graduates with previous work experience, ideal for those who have worked in a school setting or who are seeking to change career. You will not be eligible for any bursaries or scholarships.

School Direct (Training)

This is a good option if you have some experience in working with young people, for example you may be a scout leader or have worked as a camp leader. Your placement is based mainly in one school with regular time spent at the University. You'll pay fees but you might be eligible for funding through tuition fee loans, bursaries or scholarships.

For further information please refer to the UCAS and Warwick University links below:

Entry Requirements

Before you apply for teacher training, you need to make sure you’re eligible. Here are the requirements set by the Department of Education and you will also need to meet the extra requirements set by the University of Warwick (our Higher Education Partner).

GCSE requirement:

If you want to train to teach, you will need to demonstrate:

a standard equivalent to a GCSE grade C / grade 4 in mathematics and English to teach at secondary level

a standard equivalent to a GCSE grade C / grade 4 in mathematics. English and a science subject to teach at primary level

Degree requirement:

You need a degree to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

On postgraduate courses, the class of your degree may help to determine the level of funding you could receive during your training – find out about funding for teacher training on the link provided below – on the ‘The Get into Teaching’ website.

If you have overseas equivalent qualifications, you should contact your preferred training provider to check on eligibility, as they make the final judgement on equivalency.

Your training provider will make the final decision on whether you meet this entry criteria – if you don’t, they may ask you to sit a GCSE equivalency test, or offer other evidence to demonstrate your attainment.

For more information please refer to link below: Get into Education – Eligibility:

Extra requirements set by Warwick University:

School Experience:

it is recommended you gain as much School Experience in mainstream Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 as possible. Aim to have at least 10 days of experience planned.

Skills Test:

as part of your application you must pass the Professional Skills Tests in numeracy and literacy. We suggest you register for the Skills Tests as soon as possible to ensure you complete it in good time. NB. Skills tests are only valid for 3 years, please ensure your skills test will be valid on the course start date.

Please note: International applicants must provide evidence of equivalent qualifications. This can take time to process so make sure these are provided in good time. IELTS results are required in addition to the GCSE English requirement and are valid for 2 years only so ensure these are in date.

For more information please refer to link below: Warwick University – Entry Requirements (scroll down to PGCE Secondary):

Why Train With Us?

Southam Teaching Alliance is based in Coventry and Warwickshire and we work closely as an alliance of secondary, primary, special schools and universities. We use expertise and collaboration (both within and outside our alliance) to offer CPD, networks and school to school connections, through a practical teacher-centred approach.

During a trainees time at one of our Alliance Secondary Schools (see below), we will also introduce all trainees to the practice of teaching and learning. All trainees will build the foundations of strong classroom practice, gaining competence in the key areas of planning, preparation and subject pedagogy.

For 2018 / 2019 we have placements (both salaried and training) at our following secondary schools:

Southam College is set in the heart of rural Warwickshire with 1643 students on roll, 298 of who are in the Sixth Form. As a result of our strong reputation, based upon outstanding achievement, wide ranging extracurricular opportunities and an ethos of support and care, the school continues to be oversubscribed.

Stratford upon Avon is set in the beautiful area of Stratford upon Avon with 1386 students on roll, 227 of who are in the Sixth Form. Their recent Ofsted inspection (March 2016) confirmed that they are 'good' in every category. Stratford have excellent facilities and a desire to become one of the best schools in the country.

Coundon Court School is a successful and popular school that is routinely oversubscribed, with 1624 students on roll, 276 of who are in the Sixth Form. For parents to place their children in Coundon Court our hands is a measure of the trust that the local community is prepared to invest in their school. We take this responsibility very seriously indeed. Our students are at the heart of everything that they do.

Bilton School is based in the iconic town of Rugby with 1020 students on roll, 100 of who are in Sixth Form. Their aim at Bilton is to put students at the heart of everything we do so that they develop the confidence, skills and qualifications to ensure that they are happy and successful.

Higher Education Partner

Southam Teaching Alliance partners with the University of Warwick, through their ‘Centre for Teacher Education’ (CTE).

The Centre for Teacher Education (CTE) is the University of Warwick’s global service provider for high quality training and professional education. This new centre builds on the success of Warwick’s existing expertise in teacher training, which was graded as outstanding by OfSTED in 2015. In addition to the traditional PGCE core training route, the CTE also offers PGCE School Direct. PGCEs cover early years, primary and secondary across a range of subject specialisms and all include Masters level credits as standard.

For more information on Secondary Education at Warwick please refer to their website: